Electric display device



Sept. 29, 1931. J, BLOCK 1,824,942

ELECTRIC DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 12, 1930 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Sept. 29,1931

- UNITED. STATES JosErn BLOCK, or B RooKnYn, NEW Yon:

ELECTRIC DISPLAY nEvIcE Application filed September This invention relates to electric display thereof after the same ,is assembledf-and' which shall yet be attractive in appearance and practical ancl'eflici'ent tOa high degree.

A still further object of this'iinvention is to provide a highly improved andsimple and economical method of constructing a device of the character described.

7 Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed ut ,I 5-.

The invention accordingly consists in the i features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangementof partswhichiwill be exemplified in the constructionhereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of thi's invention,"v

Fig. l is a frontelevationa'l view of a dis- 1 play device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1; Y I V Fig. 3 is a fragmentary,;top plan viewof a portion of one of the lettersof:- the sign with the bulb removed; i

Fig. 4 is-a cross-sectional view taken on line 44;of Fig. 1;'= g I Fig, 5 is a rear view of the sockethousing and socket shell;and a c Fig. 6 is a wiringdia'gram illustrating the fall of the sockets" in electrical connection'o the device. a a

Referring now in detail -tof the drawings,

' 10 designates a display device embodying the invention, here shown :in the form of a sign, it

being understood however, that thein'vention.

12.1930. Serial No. 481,545.

may also be embodied in various otherforms of elcctricaldisplay and ornamental devices. The sign 10 comprises a front portion llmade of molded electrical insulating material, such as phenol-condensate products orthe like material, and a preferably flat rear cover 12. Said front portion 11 is provided with a front wall 15 and side walls 13, the cover'12 being fixed, in any suitable manner, to the I rear edges 14 of said side walls. The front waH' I or surface 15 is formed with integral de pressed, channeled or sunken portions 16, orming letters, to be illuminated. For thepulipose of illustration only, the sign shown in ig. lis formed with'the word .Soda, it '6 being'understood however, thatthe' sign may befprovided withdepressed portions forming other words, symbols; figures or decorative or ornamental portions. The inner surface 17 of *thechanne1s16 may be curved or otherwise fshaped to form a suitable light reflectingsurface for the purpose hereinafter described. l Each-ofsaid channels 16 isformed with a plurality of suitably spaced, "integral, rearwardly extending tubular portions 18 each .7 a

Jhavin a cylindrical opening 19 communicat ing with the channel. Each tubular portion 18 is further formed with a portion20, of a diameter slightly greater than that of the opening 19. The rear edge 21 of said cylin-m 'drical'portion 18preferably lies substantially flush with the rear edges 14 of said sidewalls 13. [Each of said tubular'walls 18 is formed with 'a pair of transverse diametrically disposed notches, slots, or grooves 22 at the rear 35 edge 21 thereof, for the purpose hereinafter ppea opening19 of the cylindrical portion, is an electric lamp base receiving shell 20a having a flaring mouth or rim 23, preferably formed with a serrated edge 24, biting into or pressed against the inner surface of portion 20. i

It will now be understood that there are a. plurality of spaced cylindrical portions 18 receiving 'the socket shells 20a. A number of shells 20a may be interconnected in series circuit in the well known manner. Eachpiece of interconnecting conductor wire 25 is soldered at one end26 thereof to the central contact 27 Received within said tubular 'of one shell, and the opposite end 28 of said? piece of wire is connected to the side wall of the next adjacent shell. The Wires 25 preferably pass into the interior of the cylindrlcal housings 18 thru the grooves 22. The rear may be provided with 'a'singie outlet as for i instance by interconnecting a plurality of sets 32 of series connected sockets-20a, toeach other, in parallel, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, whereby only asi'ng'lepair of con ductors 4,0, 41 need extend from the sign for connection .to a suitablesource of electric power. The connection or splice 42 for the varioussets of series connectedjsockets may .bermade within any of the spaces or chambers 4 8 within the sign between the tubular'houa' ings 18,;a'nd the'rear wall12 may be formed with a suitable opening for receiving the conductors 40, 41. If desired, the front portion 11 maybe provided with a rearwardly ex- ,tending tubular portion similar to portion 18 for receiving the splice, whichmay be covered with sealing wax or the like material to. prevent tampering.

' Screwed withineach of the socket shells 20a is an electric lamp 45 having a base 4,6;and, a' mushroom shapedbulb 47. ,The top surface 48only of the bulb is preferably. painted; .or colored, the rear surface49v only of said bulb beingleft clear, whereby the light from the filament may be reflected rearwardly to -the reflecting surface 17. The outer surface 5030f I c the bulbs. 5. 4

.the'front wall forminga background for the letters, is'preferably coloredc ontr'asting ly to the curved surface 17 of saidletters, the

vlatter surface preferably being white or of the like color whereby said channels or letters a 16 are brightly illuminated by the light from The illuminated or displayed signelements A furthermore reflect light outwardly and hence ,illuminate a space about the sign.

; As. illustrated in F'g;-i,-the bulbs isalso reflected, at the curved endf surface-53 oft-he channel 16 so that with a, few bulbs the entire; letter maybe effectively (illuminated. I

r In making the sign, inaccordancewith my a invention, the portion 11 is molded with the proper channels orletters 16 and tubular por nti ons l8formed therein. The socket shells 200; are then forced into the openings 19,;the ,.serrate d edges 24 thereof bitin-ginto thefsur- .face to form a strong, clamping engage- ,movement of the latter is efiec'tivelyjpiement for the shell, whereby loosening or vented, The rim 23 of theshe'll is preferably furthermore formed with spaced notches an to; give said :rim a slight flexibility or resiliency wherebya more effective. clamping .con

light from the I nection between said rim and the surface 20 is had. The sealing material 30 is tamped while still in moldable state into the rear of soldered connection between the wires 25 and the socket shell is thereby prevented from becomin'g loose It will be noted that the tubular portior. 18 forms an effective housing for the-screw shell 20a thereby obviating the necessity for an additional housing for said shell.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device .in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. v q

A's various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth orshown in the acconr panying'drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thusqideseribed my invention, 1 claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent: j

1.. A display device comprising, in combination, a membermadeof electrical insulating moldable material having a front wall a rearwardly depressed portion integrally nected to'the wall. and central contact of said shell, and sealing, material withinthe rear of;

saidtubular portion. 4

2. A display-device comprising, in combination,v a member made of electrical insulating moldable'material having a front-wall, a rearwardly depressed portion integrally- .110

formed with said wall, and an integral tubular portionextending rearwardly from said depressed portion, asocket shell received in said tubularportion, conductor wires connected to thewall; and central contact of said 11 shell, and sealing materialjwithin the rear of said tubular portion, said tubular portion being formed with: apair of transverse dia metrically disposed slots. at't-hew rear thereof, receiving said conductor wires. 7 3. A unitary sign comprising a front memberghavi-nga flat surface constituting a background, a plurality of integral channeled-portions depressed from front surface, each 7 channeled portion conforming to a part of the sign to be seen against said backround, a

.pliirality of tulmlarmembers cxten ding from said channeled-portions, and lamps mounted in said; tubular members and, extendinginto ,saidchanneledportions.

4. A unitary sign comprising a front member having a surface constituting a background, a plurality of depressed portions each having a configuration of a part of the sign to be seen against said back-ground, and illuminating means in said depressed portions, saiddepressed portions having reflecting surfaces to thereby constitute reflectors for light from said illuminating means.

5. A unitary sign comprising a flat front wall constituting a back-ground forthe sign and having integral depressed portions conforming in configuration to elements ofthe sign viewed against said back-"ground and having light reflecting surfaces, tubular extensions integrally formed with said depressed portions, lamp sockets mounted in said tubular portions, and lamps in said sockets projecting into said depressed portions, said lamps having front portions and side portions, the front portions being less transparent than the side portions, whereby to obtain the effect of indirect illumination by the light passing through the side portion of the lamps to the reflecting surfaces of said depressed portions. 7 In testimony whereof I afHX my signature.

JOSEPH BLOCK. 

